The Republican candidate for the open House District 88 post relied on shoe leather and handshakes to take the nomination. He defeated current Autauga County Probate Judge Al Booth and Jeremy Arthur, president and chief operations officer for the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama, to get his party’s nod.

“I personally knocked on thousands of doors in the district, taking the campaign directly to the voters,” the 28-year-old said. “That practice has worked before, when there were two, well-known and highly qualified candidates in the race. That strategy worked then, I see no reason in changing things now.”

He faces Democrat Cory Creel in the General Election. Creel recently graduated from the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law and is planning on taking the Alabama Bar Exam in February. Dismukes, a Prattville native, isn’t letting the Republican-leaning district lull him into a false sense of security.

“I’m running like I’m behind,” he said. “We have one more election. I need every vote I can get. I’ve met Cory a few times, he’s a nice guy. We just have honest disagreements on the issues. I’m not running against him, I’m running for the seat.”

He touts his conservative values: pro-life, pro-family and pro-Second Amendment. He owns a small business, Custom Floor Covering. He and his wife, Amber, have a 2-year-old son, Pratt. If elected, economic development and education will be key issues.

“I think it’s important to be a leader with a servant’s heart,” Dismukes said. “Having a young family gives you a different perspective. The decisions I will make in Montgomery will have an impact on my family and families throughout the state. I want to know I have made the right decisions.

“That’s why economic growth and education are so important to me. I want to bring good jobs and investment into Autauga and Elmore counties. A strong economy is good for everyone.”

The House District 88 seat is open, after incumbent Paul Beckman did not seek a third term. The district covers Prattville, eastern Autauga County and a small portion of western Elmore County.

Politics has always interested Dismukes. He served as a page in the House when he was 16, and interned in the House and with the Alabama Farmer’s Federation when he attended Faulkner University.

“Serving in the House is a way for me to give back to a community that has been so good to my family and me,” Dismukes said. “I’m not just saying that, I believe it.”

About Will Dismukes

Age: 28

Political experience: This is his first political campaign.

Party: Republican

Education: Received a bachelors degree in social science from Faulkner University in 2013.